Why Did Seong Jang-hyeon, Yongsan District Mayor, Start Communicating with Residents via Phone and Video?

Strengthening Non-Face-to-Face Communication Amid Prolonged COVID-19... Over 1 Hour Daily Calls with Residents... Video Filming Also... 'Dialogue with Dong-level Resident Representatives' to Proceed if Situation Improves Next Month

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Elderly! Hello? This is Seongjanghyeon, the district mayor. I was wondering how you have been doing since you haven’t been able to go out much due to COVID-19, so I’m calling to check on you.”

“Oh my! Mayor! I’m glad and thankful to receive your call. These days, I can’t even go to the senior center, so I just feel frustrated.”

“I understand. It must be very difficult, but please stay strong a little longer, take care of your health, and I hope we can overcome COVID-19 together soon.”

This is a transcript of a phone call between Seongjanghyeon, the mayor of Yongsan District, and the president of a senior center that took place on the 17th in the mayor’s office at Yongsan District Office.

Seongjanghyeon, the mayor of Yongsan District, is focusing on non-face-to-face communication due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

One of Mayor Seong’s recent main daily tasks is making phone calls. He spends over an hour a day talking with senior center presidents, heads of professional organizations, and representatives of other related institutions. This is to check on their well-being and to see how various organizations and institutions are managing their current issues. If necessary, he receives suggestions and relays them to the relevant departments.

Mayor Seong’s primary concern is the elderly. Due to the spread of COVID-19, senior welfare facilities such as senior centers have all been closed, leading many elderly people to complain of boredom and depression. The “Senior Citizens’ Day” event, which the district has devoted much effort to over the past few years, was also canceled this year.

Instead, the district sent a letter titled “We earnestly wish for the health of our elderly” along with 190,000 KF masks to 37,000 elderly individuals, delivering them one by one.

Not only the mayor but also related public officials frequently call the elderly to check on their well-being.

The district originally planned a “2020 Resident Empathy On-site Communication” event where the mayor would tour 16 neighborhoods in person this month. However, all plans were canceled due to the strengthened Level 2 social distancing measures.

A district official said, “Since 2012, we have held on-site communication once or twice a year, but this year it is difficult. Still, if the situation improves, starting in October, we plan to gather heads of professional organizations, resident autonomy committee members, and other resident representatives from each neighborhood to hold ‘Neighborhood Resident Representative Dialogues’ with about 10 participants.”

On the same day, Mayor Seong also recorded two videos. The themes were a congratulatory message for Youth Day (September 19) and a congratulatory message for the reopening (remodeling) of the Seobinggo Elementary and Wonhyo Elementary school libraries. Since the district cannot hold events or have the mayor visit in person, the intention is to at least convey his heart to the residents.

Next week, a Chuseok greeting will be filmed at the Yongsan Park Officer’s Quarters Complex 5.

Mayor Seong said, “Although I am greeting you through phone calls or videos, my intention to communicate with residents has not changed. Let’s keep our bodies apart but our hearts close and overcome this crisis together.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.